The Bright Side of Insha's Life

Insha Mushtaq was blinded by pellets in Kashmir in 2016. It has taken a long and arduous journey for her to educate herself through Braille

- Naseer Ganai in Sedow, Shopian

DRESSED in a red pheran (a traditional Kashmiri overcoat) and a scarf, Insha Mushtaq, 22, sits at her house in Sedow, a village in South Kashmir. But she cannot see the picturesque environment around her. Insha lost her eyes in July 2016 when pellets blew on her face and she lost her eyes.

Mushtaq Ahmad, her father, is seated at a distance from her. As we talk, Insha would often interrupt, reminding him of the specific dates and days she had spent in the hospital back in 2016. She would often touch her forehead and eyebrows.

"For the past few days, I feel itching around my eyes," she says laughing. After seven years, Insha's house is again frequented by journalists and politicians as she has qualified Class 12 J&K Board examination securing 367 marks out of 500. It's a remarkable feat for her considering the challenges she faces.

"Even babber-sher was here," Insha says laughing. She is referring to Peerzada Muhammad Shafi Shah, who contested from the Khag constituency of Budgam in the District Development Council polls in 2021. He lost the polls, but he is popular on the social media sites for his gaffes. He calls himself babber sher (lion). "He was shouting about the BJP," Insha says with a sardonic laugh.

Insha says the scars of July 2016 are still fresh in her mind when a volley of pellets ruptured her face and eyes. It took her months to heal from the trauma.